Celebrity Endorsements in Japan and the United States: Is Negative Information All That Harmful?

This research involves a comparative study conducted in the United States and Japan to investigate whether the form of negative information about a celebrity (other- or self-oriented) results in differential evaluations of the brand endorsed by the celebrity.

Celebrity Endorsements in Japan and the United States: Is Negative Information All That Harmful?

R. Bruce MoneyMarriott School of Management, Brigham Young UniversityTerence A. ShimpMoore School of Business, University of South CarolinaTomoaki SakanoSchool of Commerce, Waseda University

"Perfect [endorsers] without flaws may warm the heart of the brand manager, but they tend to leave audiences cold. If you want your [endorser] to connect, give him some problems, preferably the self-inflicted kind."

-Brandweek (Lanahan, 2003)

The rapid advance of media technology and its expanding reach have elevated celebrities and...

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